Kuwait plans to invest $20bn in civil aviation in next decade.

Kuwait is planning to invest $20 billion in its civil aviation sector over the next decade, a senior official has said.

Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) quoted Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, president of Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation, as making the announcement during the Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai, India.

He said the investments will be used to improve the capacity of Kuwait International Airport and related services.

The newly-opened passenger Terminal 4 at the airport can now accommodate 4.5 million passengers a year, he said.

A new air traffic control tower of the airport is under construction, he added.

Aviation projects worth almost $50 billion were reported to be underway in the Gulf last year.

Among the 95 aviation projects listed in the GCC, which have a combined value of $49 billion, are the $12 billion greenfield New Kuwait Airport which is due for completion in 2022, according to data released by BNC Network.

Of the 95 projects, 68 developments, worth $45 billion, are airport and terminal projects, while the remaining 27, valued at $3 billion, include hangar, runway, and ancillary facilities.